Aleppo Pepper Rubbed Beer Can Chicken & Warm Potato Salad

ByOKO Reading Time: 3 minutes

Aleppo Pepper Rubbed Beer Can Chicken & Warm Potato Salad

I discovered Aleppo peppers about a year or so ago when a friend told me how obsessed she was with them on eggs. Boy, she wasn’t kidding! They are a nice way to get a little spice into your morning scramble. My absolute favourite use for them is on avocado toast along with a few sprinkles of flaky sea salt. Aleppo peppers have replaced the standard red pepper flake in my life… and that’s saying something. 🙂 These chilies are not quite as hot as red pepper flakes and have a somewhat fruity flavour similar to an Ancho chilli. I was anxious to use them in a rub and was not disappointed! Since they originate in Turkey, I wanted to riff on a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern theme. It’s been awhile since I have made a beer can chicken on here and I forget how crispy the skin gets while the chicken stays nice and moist from the steam of the beer. If you are not a chicken skin eater, you may want to rethink trying the crispy spicy skin from this chicken. Roasting potatoes or other veg in the roaster with the chicken is natural. I roasted whole baby Dutch potatoes from Trader Joe’s. For a perfect side dish, I diced the roasted potatoes and made a simple red wine vinaigrette and tossed it with some parsley and mint to give it that Mediterranean flair. Like all of my spices, I buy them directly from Penzeys Spices.

Serves 4

For the rub:

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Aleppo peppers
  • 2 teaspoons ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon cumin

For the chicken:

  • 1 whole chicken; about 4 pounds
  • 1 can (12 oz.) beer

For potatoes (optional):

  • 1 1/2 pounds baby yellow or other wax potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

Extras:

  • Bull Vertical Poultry Roaster

Grilling method: Indirect

Set up the grill for indirect cooking (no heat source directly under the bird) over medium heat. Stabilise the heat around 375°F. In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredient. Measure out 2 teaspoons for seasoning the potatoes and set aside. Remove neck and giblets from the chicken cavity and trim off any excess fat. Rinse the bird inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Then lightly coat the chicken with the oil and rub chicken generously inside and out with spice mixture. Let chicken sit while you prep the potatoes to allow the rub to cure. TIP: To dry brine the chicken for more juicy flavour, prep the chicken to this step and then wrap loosely in plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days. For the potatoes; scrub and place dried potatoes in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss with half of the chopped parsley and the remaining 2 teaspoons of spice blend. Open the beer and drink or drain half of the can and set the can in the “cup holder” of the vertical roaster. Slide the chicken over the beer can and you’re ready to go. (If you are not using the vertical roaster, set the chicken over the can so that the legs and can form a tripod. Carefully place beer can and chicken on grill over drip pan.) Scatter the potatoes around the bottom of the roaster in a single layer. Place chicken on the grill and close the grill cover and cook for about an hour or until the internal temperature of the breast meat is 160°F and the thigh meat registers 175°F. Carryover cooking will raise the temperature another 5°F to 10°F. Remove from the grill. Remove potatoes to a cutting board and loosely tent the chicken with foil. Use a clean dish towel to hold on the potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl/ Whisk together the remaining olive oil, vinegar, remaining parsley and the mint. Drizzle over potatoes and gently toss to combine. Carve chicken and serve with warm potato salad.